2007 Kona Coffee Cupping Competition and My Role

As you can see from my last two posts, I love the Kona region, the coffee it produces and the farmers who dedicate themselves to this special coffee’s successful cultivation year after year. It’s my particular honor to serve as Panel Chairman at the 2007 Kona Coffee Cupping Competition November 7-8, 2007. It’s my ninth year serving as a judge for the competition, and I am also proud that Gevalia is again the lead sponsor of this important event, our twelfth year.

As Panel Chairman, I will direct and work with my fellow three judges over a two-and-a-half-day period to cup approximately 600 cups of Kona coffee. We narrow the field from dozens of farms’ entries to the best 15 coffees, which we then reduce to five or six finalists. In our final day of cupping, we choose one grower as the winner who has produced the year’s highest-quality Kona.

In addition to the exciting days of cupping to determine the winner of the Kona Coffee Cupping Competition, the nine-day Kona Festival offers nearly 50 events for visitors, who learn all about why Kona is so special and how we determine the best Kona coffees. The visitors also enjoy fabulous local foods, parades, a pageant, tours of the Kona farms, concerts and an art exhibit – a presentation of local artists’ work that I try to never miss.

The Kona Festival and the overall quality of Kona coffees offered there make Kona the place to be for all coffee-lovers November of every year. It is my honor as Gevalia Master Taster to be entrusted with chairing the cupping panel that is tasked with selecting the year’s best Kona bean, and I am already preparing for this exciting challenge at the 2007 Kona Coffee Cupping Competition.

A Lifetime of Knowing Growers

In my years as a Master Taster, I have traveled to coffee regions around the world to hand-select premium beans for Gevalia coffees. In every region, I work closely with growers, whose knowledge of and commitment to their coffee crop is a key ingredient in creating superior coffee. Just as I feel it is my responsibility to taste cup after cup in order to deliver the best to the customer, growers feel it is their responsibility to present their best beans and to offer insight into their crops.

It is very important to know about crop seasons to make sure that the same taste is cultivated year after year for a particular blend or Select Varietal. When I buy beans, I always have the correct balance of the blends in mind, and therefore am very careful of gauging the crop cycle properly. A blend can contain up to seven or eight beans, and a flawless combination must be achieved to sustain the proper taste of a coffee, batch after batch.

The superior consistency of coffees offered by Gevalia can only be achieved through a longstanding relationship with growers based on mutual trust and admiration.
Growing coffee is very much a time-honored tradition, passed down from one generation to the next. Over the years, many growers have become my close friends, and have in turn introduced me to their children (and, in some cases, grandchildren), who have begun to learn the family business. It is wonderful to return to a region year after year to see old friends and to make new ones as the new generations take over the coffee crop.

Kona: Nurturing the Bean from Field to Cup

The Kona coffee bean can only be designated as such if it comes from the one place in the world where it is grown – Kona, Hawaii. As we discussed last week, the volcanic nutrients make Kona’s soil a unique and highly hospitable location in which to grow coffee. In addition to the soil nutrients, Kona’s successful cultivation also depends on a specific combination of sun and water. Kona’s climate offers sunny mornings, rainy afternoons and cool, comfortable evenings, which result in an ideal combination of weather factors to Kona coffee plants.

Kona is cultivated on the Big Island of Hawaii in the North and South Kona Districts, where it grows on the slopes of Mount Hualalau and Mauna Loa. Despite the generosity of Princess Bernice’s KSBE land grant in the late 19th Century, the acreage on which Kona can grow is limited to fewer than 3,000 acres by the size of the North and South Kona districts, making Kona coffee one of the most sought-after and expensive coffees in the world.



But how does the Kona plant produce the green beans that eventually are roasted to a rich brown color and ground to make your cup of Kona? To answer this question, I rely upon my relationships with Kona growers, who let me know annually the rate of growth of the crop. Typically, Kona coffee plants bloom in February and March, producing exquisite white flowers on the coffee trees and which the growers refer to as “Kona Snow.” In April, green berries appear on the branches, and by late August a red fruit, commonly called “cherry” due to its resemblance to that ripe berry, are ripe for picking. The Kona farmers then pick the cherries from the coffee branches by hand, plucking each tree of its cherries several times between August and January, whereupon the annual crop cycle begins anew. During the harvest, each coffee tree will yield about 20 pounds of cherries. “Kona Snow” never ceases to take my breath away, but what really impresses me is this: it takes seven pounds of cherries to make one pound of roasted coffee.


The farmers then take the picked cherries and run them through a coffee pulper, which separates the cherries’ beans (there are two beans per cherry) from the fruity pulp. After this separation, the beans are placed in a fermentation tank for approximately 12 hours. They are then removed, rinsed and spread to dry on a drying rack in the sun, which usually has a cover to protect the beans from becoming wet again in the event of rain. After the beans have dried completely (usually after one to two weeks), the beans are stored (they are now dried green beans) prior to roasting.

On Cupping

I wanted to share this video with you so that you can learn a bit more about cupping. I hope you enjoy this and find it helpful. There are other videos at the bottom of the blog for your enjoyment as well.

History of Gevalia

As many of you know, I have been Master Taster at Gevalia for 40 years. I am honored to contribute to the company's rich history, and I thought you might be interested in learning more about our heritage.

Gevalia was founded in 1853 in Gävle, Sweden, where we still have our factory and where all coffee tastings are performed. Our founder, Victor Theodor Engwall, was a successful importer devoted to procuring the world’s best coffees for Sweden’s beverage enjoyment. Engwall’s dedication to scouring the world for the finest beans continues to be the driving philosophy at Gevalia, and his commitment to discovery, connoisseurship and perfection are values held today by every Gevalia employee.

Within a few years of establishing Gevalia, Engwall’s commitment to the world’s best coffee was rewarded when Sweden’s King Gustav stopped at Gävle and sampled Gevalia. The king was so enamored with the coffee’s perfectly-balanced taste and warm, inviting aroma that he named Gevalia coffee purveyor for the Royal Court of Sweden, an unparalleled honor it continues to hold today.

The combination of royal patronage and strong founding philosophy make Gevalia a uniquely positioned coffee. There is simply no other coffee purveyor that works with such rich history and high standards, which have been continually met and surpassed for over 150 years. Of particular importance, Engwall’s founding spirit still serves as the heart and soul of Gevalia.

It’s this commitment to perfection that has led to my years of service as Master Taster exclusively for Gevalia. Like Engwall and all Gevalia Master Tasters before me, I believe in traveling the world to attain the best coffee, and by putting each blend and bean through a series of rigorous tests and cuppings to ensure only the best coffees are offered by Gevalia. After all, it’s up to me to ensure that Gevalia remains a timeless brand that’s held in the highest esteem and signifies only the best that coffee has to offer.

History of Kona and Its Growers

As I prepare for my trip to Kona in November, I am paying close attention to the weather in Hawaii, especially hurricanes, which may affect the crop. I have been assured by the growers in Kona that Hurricane Flossie caused no damage, and my team continues to monitor the weather closely.

My relationships with coffee growers across the world’s production regions are essential to ensuring the unsurpassed quality of Gevalia coffees. Each region’s growers contribute to that location’s coffee history, and every farm and grower plays a unique role. As we prepare for the 2007 Kona Coffee Cupping Competition, I am compelled to share the special story of the Kona growers and their crop.

In Kona, the growers have been the driving force behind the coffee crop since the first coffee tree was planted in Hawaii in 1813. Although the first tree was short-lived, the local farmers realized the potential of growing coffee in the local soil, which is richly enhanced by volcanic nutrients and minerals. By 1828, coffee seeds had been transported to the Kona coast, and the coffee trees were flourishing. The taste of the beans was unprecedented, and Kona coffee quickly gained a superior reputation that went far beyond the island. With the burgeoning crop and the powerful combination of Kona’s rich volcanic soil, determined families of farmers and ideal climate conditions, coffee acreage increased at a rapid rate and the Kona coffee industry was born.

What I enjoy even more than the story of the farmers and their commitment to producing the first Kona beans is the source of support behind Kona’s farmers. Just as the Gevalia coffee story is tied to Sweden’s royal family, the success of the Kona bean is due largely to the foresight and philanthropic efforts of Princess Bernice Pauahi Bishop of Hawaii, the last direct descendant of King Kamehameha the Great. The majority of Kona coffee is cultivated on land owned by the Kamehameha Schools Bishop Estate (KSBE), a trust implemented in 1884 to fulfill Princess Bernice’s request to utilize her land to generate income solely for the Kamehameha Schools, which today is the largest independent school system in the United States. Princess Bernice’s estate trustees implemented a long-term agricultural leasehold system, whereby the Kamehameha Schools continue to flourish today and the Kona growers continue to have access to the world’s richest volcanic soil.

I love the story of Kona’s beginnings and the special role it plays in the Hawaiian community, and I am reminded of this great history every time my plane touches down in Hawaii for the Kona Coffee Cupping Competition. This year’s event is scheduled to be held November 7-8. I look forward to seeing you there.

I would also like to thank you for all of your comments and inquiries. I was recently asked how long David must train to become a Master Taster, and the answer is that most Master Tasters usually require between five and seven years of training to attain the Master Taster title. Please keep your comments coming - I look forward to your questions.

Passing the Torch: The Tradition of the Gevalia Master Taster

I am often asked how one attains the title of Master Taster. And I always respond in the same way: coffee is an art for which one must feel passion.

I began my professional career as a photographer, which was my profession for seven years. Although I enjoyed it, I knew it was not my permanent career and continued to explore other fields. In the early 1960s, I trained as a First Tenor with the Royal Swedish Opera Company and was offered a contract. However, in a stroke of good luck, I discovered coffee at the same time, and after exploring the art of images and the art of singing, I found that the art of coffee was my passion.

My mentor was a Master Taster named Arne Roslund, who guided me through the process of becoming a Master Taster. With passion in-hand, my next task was to hone my senses of taste and smell. Through many days of Triangle Tests, bean examination and cupping, I began to learn how to taste. People are always amazed when I tell them that I achieved the rank of Master Taster after seven years of tasting. But I always tell them that cupping is a profession that requires years of careful observation and constant learning, and that becoming a Master Taster only happens after a matter of years.

In addition, the honor of being named Master Taster can only be bestowed by one who already holds the title. I was honored to be named Master Taster by Arne.




Now, over four decades later, I am getting ready to hand my tasting spoon to the next generation of tasters. It is now my privilege to share the timeless skills needed to become a Master Taster with David Holfve, who has joined Gevalia to learn the art of cupping. David has a keen sense of smell and an enthusiasm for the work, but more importantly, I know he will become Master Taster because he possesses that which trumps all other qualities needed in a taster: David has the passion for coffee. It is an honor to present him with his own tasting spoon.